Research is constantly growing as to the negative effects of exclusionary discipline (suspension) on children and adolescents yet, it is still the most widely used form of discipline in many schools. The implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) has shown an improvement in this by reducing the number of out of school suspensions in schools using it, but it is still difficult to get whole staff buy-in for PBIS. Teachers and administrators heavily rely on exclusionary discipline for a variety of reasons, and I’m going to share 5 misconceptions that I’ve heard (and possibly even said early in my career) as justification for using exclusionary discipline. Misconception: If we inconvenience the parent enough, maybe they’ll do something about their child’s behavior. Reality: Yes, parents need to be held accountable in their child’s education, but have you put yourself in their shoes? Maybe…. Just maybe… that parent has a strong willed child and is doing everything legally possible to raise him/her into a well behaved, compliant child. Or, on the other side of it, maybe that parent isn’t really worried about their child’s behavior and suspension will just be a reward with getting to sit at home and watch TV/play video games all day. Or maybe, that parent is working 12-14 hour shifts just to keep the lights on and food on the table and by “inconveniencing” her, you are keeping the children from being able to have their basic needs met. Misconception: They won’t learn if they don’t have a consequence. Reality: When a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach them strategies for reading. We don’t punish them into learning to read. When a child doesn’t know how to add or subtract even though his peers are multiplying, we don’t suspend him. We differentiate, use multiple strategies, try 500 different ways to help that child succeed academically. Yet, when we have a child who is not exhibiting socially appropriate behaviors, are we taking the time to teach them the proper way to behave? Have we differentiated and tried 500 different ways to help that child be successful? Kids learn how to read, add, subtract, and behave by being taught how to do so. Many times, there are immediate consequences for negative behavior (clip down charts, 3 strike rules, etc) instead of immediate rewards for proper behavior. Rewards are often delayed and kids with challenging behaviors are rarely able to live up to the expectations long enough to earn them. Which brings me to number 3… Misconception: If we just reward kids all the time, they will never learn to do the right thing just because it’s the right thing. Reality: Think about the last time you went to work because it was the right thing to do? You go to work because you want to get a paycheck to in turn pay for your wants and needs. Have you ever lost your cool at work? Have you had an argument with your boss or a co-worker? Have you gotten so angry that you just had to go take a break or walk away? When these things have happened, have you been suspended from work? Doubtful. Your boss may talk to you about appropriate workplace behavior, but it is unlikely that you will be suspended for exhibiting typical human emotions. Kids have these moments too, but we hold them to a higher expectation than we hold ourselves with managing these emotions. They want to do the right thing. Most of the time, they don’t want to get so upset they become out of control, but when it does happen, we should provide support and restoration that makes them feel loved and safe, not exclusion that makes them feel rejected. Misconception: If I let him/her get away with that without getting suspended, then everyone in the class will do it, too. Reality: Oh my goodness folks… this one gets me sometimes. Yes, at times, kids will be like “well so and so did that and didn’t get in trouble…” but let’s look at the social implications of exclusionary discipline. Think back to your job and mistakes you’ve made (big or small). Did your boss go move a clip down on your clip chart to publicly humiliate you for your wrong doing? Did other people at your work say, “Well she got away with it, so can I”? Probably not. But in the classroom, we can become so power hungry, that we use force and control to push challenging kids out of our class instead of using grace and love to keep them in. By using public consequences, we make sure our kids’ mistakes are known to others in the class causing poor peer relations and even leading to bullying. We embarrass them and cause self-esteem issues that can bury deep into a child’s self-worth. By using systems that push them out of the classroom, we are saying 1.) I can’t handle your behavior which causes us to lose control or 2.) I don’t want you/your behavior in here. If we as teachers appear not to want a kid in the class, other students are likely to follow that example and exclude the child as well. Misconception: This is what we’ve always done/that’s what the school policy is. Reality: First, let me talk about poor policies… how many policies do we have in our schools that were written by legislators or others in positions of power who have no education background? We should be careful to refer back to policy as a justification for discipline, especially if that policy was written by people who don’t understand the age appropriate expectations for behavior. Next, a lot of things have changed over the last 1-2 decades, including how our students learn, how they interact with others, and how they behave. Educational practices for teaching academics are constantly changing as technology and our society has changed. While it can be overwhelming to implement these changes in our classrooms, we do it because we know there is research to support it and it will benefit our students. Why then, do we embrace academic changes, yet we are so hesitant to make changes to the way we address behavior? Is it because some days it’s just easier to have the kid removed than to work through the issues? As educators, we need to remember that we are there for all students. We need to show love, grace, compassion, and patience with the smartest, the lowest, the best behaved, the most challenging, the ones who are well groomed, and the ones who may smell a little funny. I’m so thankful that I serve a God who shows me grace. In all of my failures, mistakes, and bad days, never once do I feel like I will be rejected, excluded, or expelled from His love. It is our job to show that same love and grace to the toughest to love students. Be the one to overcome the misconceptions.
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